Back in DC

Washington DC was another world on our return.

Gone were the odd pieces of snow that dotted the landscape three months earlier; in it's place a hot and humid environment greeted us as we stepped out the door to catch yet another taxi.

The group enjoyed a day of rest before heading up to Capital Hill for a series of meetings with various staff members and lobbyists involved with agripolitics. It made for some very frank and sometimes direct questions about imports and exports, tariffs and subsidies.

My view of agriculture is changing and I'm starting to question why developed countries base most of their focus toward production at the cost of nutrition and ultimately our value in the market place. It goes against the principle of business, to devalue your product by over supply. The more I hear we have to feed the world, the more I question why it is that our markets fluctuate so much if food is in such demand. There are more than just farmers who have a stake in food production and it's cost. Those who have their interest in the status quo of cheap food far outweigh those who do not. After being told by the Assistant U.S Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs that there are many farmers out there who farm at any cost simply because they love it, struck me as some what true. Most of us (farmers) feel a sense of honour in feeding families. While the cold reality of the almighty dollar drives us to be more efficient at using up our resources at the cost of sustainability, it is somewhat ironic that if a larger number of farmers didn't care as much as they do about their production, the cost of living would rise dramatically.